Humble apology

[mediamogul]

I am the creator of medialance.net. I've been a feature and tv producer/exec producer for 7 years now. My wife, who is a commercial art director, was looking for a graffiti artist one day for a shoot. Having a difficult time finding one, I said "Wouldnt it be great to just post that you needed an artist and then they could bid to get the job you are offering. Also they could have their portfolios etc online as well for you do look at?". Henceforthe medialance was born.

I wanted to let you all know in case you were looking for a place to find talent or provide talent as well.

I really enjoy this forum. Although I have made many films, *DV is totally new to me and very exciting. Im currently working on a doc with my wife and having a blast using this new monster DVX!

Regards, David Basulto
www.medialance.net
www.claritypictures.net

[J.R. Hudson]

I did a little editing to reflect the new mood.

Thanks David and thanks for the link. *This site is full of professionals and hacks and everything in between. *I think we all are learning from each other everyday.

It is by far the Number One site for the DVX100 which is easily the camera of choice for the new inde-filmaker. *

Sounds like a great idea that you have here. *Hang around; besides the DVX you'll learn a ton about DV.

[mediamogul]

Thanks! This place is like a mini DV film school hehe. I'm learning alot from all you pros already. ;D

[boo]

great david! i'll check it out! no harm done...welcome to the dvxuser family. :)

[jaredlebaron]

David,

Send me a breakdown of exactly what your wife is looking for and contacts…I know lots of artists who may be able to help.

Jared L.
www.bdfilms.biz

[Barry_S]

Now, *thats* better :). Welcome to DVXUser.com and good luck with your site. I do have a suggestion, though. The medialance site does not list the user fees upfront. I know you say "modest fee", but that could mean anything in the film business. Personally, I'm hesitant to register without seeing all the fees clearly stated upfront. I think you'll scare off more people that wonder why you're not forthright with the fees than by stating everything clearly up front and making a good case for why the service is worth it. Just a suggestion.

[mediamogul]

Thanks Barry, I put the prices on the front page. Its also on the marketplace page as well. Cheers!

[J_Barnes]

I'm always amazed at how these freelance market developers totally miss the boat when setting up these online markets. Its so obvious that they're trying to make a quick buck at the expense of hopefull freelancers, and they provide no actual service at all...save the monthly charges on your credit card.

Taking a quick look at the front page of this website will only confirm what a complete waste of money this site is for a freelancer. The last ten available projects posted span a time frame of a month...ten projects a month????

So, as freelancers, we're expected to pay a service fee of 10 bucks a month in order to have the privledge of joining everyone else in bidding on the same ten projects. That's a dollar a project where you have at the very least 300 to 1 odds of winning (assuming there are at least 299 other registered members who want to bid). Now, you reduce the available projects to things you're actually qualified or interested in doing, then further reduce the jobs to ones that are actually paying something worth your time... how many jobs out of the TEN posted a month do you think you'll actually persue? How many of those do you think you'll actually win?

Obviously there aren't a host of employers out there rushing to use this service, so it's blatent that this whole site is set up to turn a profit on the hopes of freelancers. If this business were actively recruiting employers in order to generate leads for its body of freelancers, then there might be justification in charging a fee...but as this is obviously not the case, your 9.99 "service fee" is all fee and no service.

What's so completely idiotic about all of these sites (and if one checks you will find many) is that none of them are thriving because they all use a business model that is almost guarenteed not to work! How can you expect to grow a community of job seekers and project providers when you're doing nothing but charging them exhaustive fees just to see what's out there?

Why not just follow a PROVEN, SUCCESSFUL marketplace model, the most obvious and perhaps the most successful idea ever to come onto the internet? Ebay.

Ebay makes all their fees when they actually provide someone with a service, and the users aren't penalized when service is NOT proviced. Buyers pay ONLY when they win, and beyond the minor selling fees...sellers pay when they sell. It works because it doesn't cost the users anything to participate, it only costs when the deal is made...and that my friends, is VALUE.

These online freelance marketplaces would be successful if they just followed the ebay model and charged a percentage only when deals were actually made, but it's obvious that medialance can't follow that business model because they don't have any actual service to provide. They don't have any deals to be made. That's why they're charging you ten dollars a month to look...because they KNOW you're not going to find anything, and thus they wouldn't make money off you by allowing you to look for free and pay when you win.

It's time for these people to get a clue and focus on growing a community that will sustain itself through it's obvious value rather then persuing business models that provide absolutly NO value to the consumer.

[J.R. Hudson]

Good point J Barnes.

[mediamogul]

Actually you make some great points J Barnes, although I dont appreciate the "idiotic" part. :( As for a "quick buck", I'm definitely not looking for that. The business model was suggested to my by my designer. I do like your thoughts on the successful bid winner pays etc. Im also considering maybe having the site as a free site. My investment wasnt too bad in having the database and site made so that wouldnt hurt too bad and in the long run the whole point of making the site would payoff in spades with talented people to access. Hmmm....

[Barry_S]

I'll give David the benefit of the doubt and don't think he's just trying to turn a quick buck. His site isn't one of those places that charges a large upfront fee and offers completely imaginary benefits. Still, it's dicey when the site is young and hasn't developed much momentum. Thre first month is free, but it may take 6 months or forever for an appreciable number of employers to start frequenting the site. I'll agree that the site has the best chance of succeeding if fees are only charged when deals are completed.

At the very least, I'd keep it free to register and bid until the site developed a lot of traffic. It's the chicken and egg thing. Crew people aren't going to pay to register until they see a lot of traffic and employers aren't going to use the service until they see a lot of crew available.

[J_Barnes]

Okay guys,

The thing is that when something frustrates you, you don't always express your point as clearly as it needs to be expressed.

I still stand by most everything I said, but in retrospect I'd suggest that my comments (while in this case reference a particular site), they apply to an industry of Freelancing websites rather then any site in particular.

I get so angry when people focus on a short end return in ecommerce when the only real successful companies out there are the ones who, either by design or by accident, grew a community that loved the service provided.

Sites like Elance don't allow a community to grow, they don't allow the potential marketplace flurish because they're so focused on access fees rather then commission fees. Charging for admission is just plain crazy because it's an inproven market and no one knows what they're going to get inside, so there's no incentive for them to find out other then foolish curiosity.

Do you think you'd ever step foot in a Best Buy if they charged two bucks at the door just to see if they have the CD or DVD you're looking for?

Again, I don't think my comments were unwarrented in any sense, but I do think that people read some implied wrath directed at one person or one company and this is not the case.

I dislike them all equally.

HOWEVER...I'm only saying these things as an interested consumer. I'm only suggesting what would work because I know I'd be one of the first people to register if this and other markets were open and based on a commission. I get so frustrated because I know it would work if it were modeled after eBay style markets, and yet there is nothing out there to fill this most obvious and profitable hole.

J.

[Barry_Green]

Do you think you'd ever step foot in a Best Buy if they charged two bucks at the door just to see if they have the CD or DVD you're looking for?

Magnificent point.

[J.R. Hudson]

I understood the first time. Im a quick study. ;)

[Kidster]

My father owns a transportation business and in the trucking industry a company did something like what you are trying to do. They started a load matching service. Their customers are of course Trucklines and Shippers.
They offered the service free for one year until the thing caught on and there was a lot of traffic on the system. Now that company has over 500 trucklines and 800 shippers on the system..posting loads and matching trucks to haul it.
If your wallet can handle it...offer it to everyone for free until you get everyone participating..then it should take off.